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Long Lasting Pier

The first form of damage is wood such as; broken, cracked or warped floor joists or beams, wood rot or insect damage and rotten sill plates. You can also discover water or moisture damage. This can include improper drainage under the house, improper ventilation under home, standing water, pier movement due to seasonal soil moisture, and pad and block inundated by water. Finally, builder or homeowner miscalculation also happens causing inadequate number of piers, shallow piers, defective shimming, and addition of second story with no additional pier supports.

Pier And Beam Support Functions

Pier and beam houses are houses that have a crawl space, which is the space between the floor and the ground. The pier is the concrete that goes into the ground and bears the weight of the building on foundation beams of wood. All foundations can have problems in clay soil. Some people feel that with pressure treated wood and metal brackets and straps for setting beams, this foundation type is stronger than ever. The footing for the pier does best in well-drained or evenly moist soil with a well-ventilated crawl-space. The number of piers is calculated to best bear the weight of the house. There are some pier and beam structures that also involve a concrete perimeter grade beam.

Problems With Pier And Beam Structures

There are those who criticize the pier and beam structure, and these are their objections. One reason given is compared to concrete’s cleanliness, wood is susceptible to rot and insect damage, therefore, it is imperative to prevent ground to wood contact, wherever possible. Another reason is pier and beam structures may be poorly spaced and the lumber, due to its nature, may be poorly shaped and spaced, allowing for dipping or bowing of floors. Concrete and steel are more uniform.

Typical Repairs You’ll See To Foundations

Concrete Perimeter Beam: If the home does involve a concrete perimeter beam, some easy repairs can be made by lifting the home and using pressed pilings for leveling.

Wood Replacement: As mentioned earlier, often wood in the crawl space rots due to moisture and must be replaced. There can also be insect damage. At times whole beams need replacement.

Interior Floor Levels: Floor levels are adjusted using metal shims. However at times shifting is major enough to require addition of extra piers. This is particularly true if error has been made in judging the number of piers needed for the house or addition supports.